REVOLUTIONARY

10.08.13

Drugmaker: We Found Malaria Vaccine

USDA, via AP

British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline says it discovered the world’s first malaria vaccine, which the pharmaceutical giant said had already cut rates of the disease in African children. Malaria, spread by mosquitos, is the leading cause of death by disease, killing hundreds of thousands of people worldwide each year. The trial for the new drug involved 15,500 children in 7 countries, and found that 18 months after vaccination, children from 5 to 17 months had a 46 percent reduction in clinical malaria—although it was less effective when given to babies ages 6 to 12 weeks. The company is now seeking FDA approval.